Invariant hypersurfaces of endomorphisms of projective varieties (Q2445289)

This paper investigates the situation in which a normal (possibly singular) projective variety \(X\) has an endomorphism \(f\) with degree greater than one and a prime (Cartier) divisor \(V\) satisfying \(f^{-1}(V)=V\). The various hypotheses made for each of the main results in the paper all hold when the dimension of \(X\) is at least two, the Picard rank of \(X\) is one, and the singularities of \(X\) are restricted in a somewhat standard way; the author shows (Example 1.9) that there are many singular hypersurfaces in projective spaces of all large dimensions that satisfy these conditions. Some of the conclusions made in this case are: (1) there are at most \(\dim(X)+1\) prime divisors \(V\) satisfying \(f^{-1}(V)=V\); (2) \(X\) is rationally connected if there are at least \(\dim(X)\) such \(V\); (3) \(X\) is always rationally chain connected, as are each \(V\) and the normalization of each \(V\); and (4) \(X\) is simply connected, as is each \(V\). The author takes great care to state the optimal generality under which each of the main conclusions holds. For example, if \(\dim(X)\) is replaced by \(\dim(X)+\rho(X)-1\), (1) and (2) remain true for \(X\) with Picard rank bigger than one so long as \(f\) is a polarized endomorphism and \(f^*\) is a multiple of the identity on \(\text{NS}(X)\). The author also gives examples to show that the bound in (1) is optimal. The proofs of the theorems incorporate many existing results regarding singularities of normal projective varieties and \(\mathbb{Q}\)-Cartier divisors on normal (singular) projective varieties to achieve detailed descriptions of the pull-back actions of endomorphisms on such varieties.